UF Students Will Vote on Potential Name Change for the Reitz Union

Published September 11th, 2012

Loading Video...

GAINESVILLE - Election week is just around the corner for students at the University of Florida, as well as their chance to influence a refernedum.

The J. Wayne Reitz Student Union has been part of the University of Florida landscape for 45years, this year, students are questioning the namesake of the former University President behind the building.

UF Vice President Affairs says, that Student Senator, Ford Dywer, "came out and put a petition, through our Supreme Court and got the right amount of signatures to get the referendum on the ballot, the question is changing the Reitz Student Union to the Virgil Hawkins Student Union."

Virgil Hawkins was denied admission to UF law school and fought 9 years until the Supreme Court integrated the College.

The referendum is nonbinding and will appear on the October 2nd and 3rd student election ballot.